Hunters and other wildlife observers conceal bodily movement from the vision of objects of their outdoor activities (such as deer, elk, geese, and the like) with a hunting blind. A typical hunting blind comprises a frame covered by concealment panels of a camouflage material. The pattern of the camouflage material is chosen to blend with the natural surroundings as the camouflage material is usually opaque or only slightly open (such as leaf-shaped cut outs or patterns in see-through materials), an outdoor enthusiast can be within the enclosed space without alerting nearby animals.
Currently, there are a variety of different types of hunting blinds available on the market. Some examples include enclosed trees stands that generally mounted to the trunk or branch of a tree. A tree stand enhances a hunter's field-of-view and reduces the risk of detection by placing the hunter above the line-of-sight of the animal. Other types of hunting blinds include simple frames meant to sit on the ground covered with camouflage material. Since outdoorsmen often walk great distances into the woods and/or move from tree to tree, it is highly desirable that the hunting blind be easily collapsible and portable. They should be structurally and mechanically simple. The structure and design of a hunting blind are balanced with concerns related to the visual appearance of the blind.
The type of camouflage employed by the hunting blind is always a function of the area where the outdoorsman is located. In particular, hunters or other wildlife enthusiasts may find themselves in a wooded area during a certain time of year where a particular color and particular pattern of camouflage are desirable. In contrast, in a swamp area during a certain time a year a different color and pattern configuration may be desirable. Examples of different camouflage patterns known in the art and used by outdoorsman include the US woodland pattern, universal camouflage, six-color desert pattern, oak-leaf, swampland, frog-skin, tiger stripe, and many more. Put plainly, there are numerous combinations of colors and patterns all known to one of skill in the art that may be desirable in different locations and different times of year. It is apparent that a problem exists for outdoorsmen who wish to experience nature in different locales and at different times of year yet do not want to purchase hunting blinds with camouflage specific for each locale or time of year.
Improving methods for creating camouflage has been a field of interest for some time as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,904 which describes the use photographic and photo-optic methods to capture foliage and background images for patterns on a blind. This method is heavy and highly technical. U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,960 describes a hunting blind with mirrored outer walls. This method would, however, reflect any movement made by animals scaring them away or encouraging them to engage in a territorial dispute. U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,666 describes a photographic method for creating an outdoor tent with an internal image of a distant place. The photographic images are carefully edited to fit a particular assembly. This is also highly technical, expensive, and time consuming for any hunter. Accordingly, the prior art fails to satisfactorily address the need to provide a simple means to mimic the surrounding environment thereby preserving the outdoorsman's ability to discreetly observe wildlife.